What is Astrology?

Astrology in Brief

Astrology studies the sky at a particular moment — usually the moment of birth — and interprets the positions of the Sun, Moon and planets in the zodiac to understand character, tendencies and the timing of events.

Practised well, it is a tool for self-understanding and planning: a way to recognise your strengths, prepare for challenging periods and make the most of favourable ones.

What is Indian (Vedic) Astrology?

Indian astrology is known as Jyotish or Vedic astrology, and has its roots in the Vedas. Its key difference from Western astrology is the zodiac it uses:

• Sidereal zodiac — Vedic astrology aligns the signs with the fixed stars, applying a correction called the ayanamsa (most commonly Lahiri) for the slow precession of the equinoxes. Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which begins where the Sun crosses the equator in spring.
• The Moon comes first — Vedic astrology gives the Moon sign (Rashi) and birth star (nakshatra) the central role, while Western astrology focuses on the Sun sign.
• Nakshatras and dashas — the 27 lunar mansions and the Vimshottari dasha system for timing are unique to Jyotish.

Because of the ayanamsa, most people's Vedic signs are one sign earlier than their Western signs.

The Building Blocks

The 12 signs

The ecliptic is divided into twelve signs of 30° each: Aries (Mesha), Taurus (Vrishabha), Gemini (Mithuna), Cancer (Karka), Leo (Simha), Virgo (Kanya), Libra (Tula), Scorpio (Vrishchika), Sagittarius (Dhanu), Capricorn (Makara), Aquarius (Kumbha) and Pisces (Meena). Explore the signs.

The 9 planets

The Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu. Explore the planets.

The 12 houses

Areas of life such as self, wealth, siblings, home, children, health, marriage, longevity, fortune, career, gains and liberation. Explore the houses.

The Ascendant

The sign rising in the east at birth, which becomes the 1st house and anchors the chart. Explore the Ascendants.

The 27 nakshatras

The ecliptic is also divided into 27 birth stars of 13°20′ each. The nakshatra occupied by the Moon at birth is your birth star — for example, a Moon at 209° falls in Libra and in the Vishakha nakshatra.

Horoscope, Transits and Aspects

The horoscope

A horoscope (janam kundali) is a chart of the sky at your birth, showing the sign and house of every planet. It is calculated from your date, time and place of birth. Generate yours free.

Transits

As the planets keep moving, their current positions (gochara) interact with your birth chart. Transits are the basis of daily, monthly and yearly forecasts — see where the planets are now.

Aspects

In Vedic astrology every planet aspects the 7th house from itself. Mars also aspects the 4th and 8th, Jupiter the 5th and 9th, and Saturn the 3rd and 10th. For example, Saturn in Pisces aspects Sagittarius (its 10th), so a planet in Sagittarius receives Saturn's aspect.

A Short History of Jyotish

The word Jyotish comes from the Sanskrit jyoti, meaning light, and is often translated as “the science of light”. It is one of the six Vedangas, the limbs of knowledge that support the Vedas. Its first job was practical: fixing the right times for Vedic rituals by tracking the Sun, the Moon and the nakshatras.

• Vedanga Jyotisha (attributed to the sage Lagadha) is the oldest surviving text. It deals with the calendar, the lunar months and the nakshatras.
• Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, attributed to the sage Parashara, is the foundation of predictive astrology as it is practised today. It covers houses, yogas, divisional charts and the Vimshottari dasha system.
• Varahamihira (6th century CE) wrote the Brihat Jataka on birth charts and the Brihat Samhita on omens, weather, architecture and world events.
• Jaimini Sutras present a separate system based on sign aspects and the chara karakas (variable significators).

Over the centuries, scholars in every part of India added commentaries and regional methods. The result is a living tradition that is still used for birth charts, marriage matching, muhurat and festivals.

The Branches of Astrology

Classical texts divide Jyotish into three main skandhas (pillars): Siddhanta (astronomy and calculation), Samhita (world events, weather and omens) and Hora (personal horoscopes). Today these are used through several practical branches:

Dashas: The Timing of Life

The planets show what a chart promises. Dashas show when it is likely to happen. The most widely used system is the Vimshottari dasha, a 120-year cycle shared among the nine planets. Your first dasha is set by the nakshatra the Moon occupied at birth, and the order then follows the fixed sequence below.

Each major period (mahadasha) is divided into sub-periods (antardashas) of all nine planets. The results depend on how strong the planet is and which houses it rules in your own chart. See your dasha periods.

Yogas and Doshas

A yoga is a special combination of planets that produces a particular result. A dosha is a combination that calls for care. Some you will hear about often:

• Raja Yoga — a link between the lords of the angular houses (1, 4, 7, 10) and the trinal houses (1, 5, 9). It is associated with status and success. More yogas
• Gaja Kesari Yoga — Jupiter in an angular house from the Moon, said to bring wisdom and reputation.
• Manglik (Kuja) Dosha — Mars in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house. It is checked before marriage. Check Manglik
• Kaal Sarp Yoga — all seven planets between Rahu and Ketu. Check Kaal Sarp
• Sade Sati — Saturn's roughly 7½-year transit over the 12th, 1st and 2nd signs from your Moon. Check Sade Sati

No single yoga or dosha decides a life. An astrologer always weighs it against the strength of the whole chart and the running dasha.

Divisional Charts (Vargas)

Vedic astrology divides each sign into smaller parts to make divisional charts, each focused on one area of life. Parashara describes sixteen; these are the ones used most:

A planet that is strong in both the D1 and the D9 is said to give reliable results.

What Can Astrology Help With?

How to Start Reading Your Own Chart

1. Find your Ascendant (Lagna). This is the 1st house and shows your body, nature and the way you meet the world.
2. Find your Moon sign and nakshatra. These describe your mind and emotions, and set your dasha sequence. Read about your birth star.
3. See where each planet sits. Note the sign (how the planet acts) and the house (where in life it acts).
4. Check the house lords. The planet that rules each house carries that house's matters wherever it goes in the chart.
5. Look at the running dasha. The planets of your current mahadasha and antardasha show which parts of the chart are active now.

Remedies in Vedic Astrology

Jyotish does not stop at prediction. It also suggests upayas (remedies) to strengthen helpful planets and calm difficult ones. Traditional remedies include chanting a planet's mantra, prayer and fasting on the planet's weekday, charity linked to the planet, and, after careful study of the chart, wearing a suitable gemstone. The spirit of every remedy is self-discipline and good action. A remedy supports your effort; it does not replace it.

Common Questions